Power-press.



W. J. BRAY.

POWER PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED Mme, 191a.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

a 2255146556 JQQW WALTER J. BBAY, OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANU'FACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

POWER-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALTER J. BRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington Heights, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Presses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the operation of power presses that are used for stamping, punching and shaping operations accidents frequently occur to the operator of the machine resulting in maiming one or both of his hands by reason of his failure to withdraw his hand or hands from beneath the descending head that carries the punch or die.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple construction of mechanism applicable to such presses that will necessitate the Withdrawal of both of the attendants hands from the path of the said head before the head can be started on its downward or operating movement. Broadly speaking I accomplish this by providing the machine with two locking devices, one adapted to be operated by the attendants right hand and the other by his left hand, one of such devices engaging some portion of the mechanism that controls the effective movement of the head and the other one of the devices engaging and holding in locking position said first device, whereby said first device before it can be released from engagement with the controlling mechanism must itself be disengaged from the other device.

The specific construction and arrangement of the devices in which my invention is embodied are shown in the drawings and will be hereinafter described. It is to be understood, however, that I do not confine myself to the specific form and arrangement of parts shown as changes therefrom to adapt the invention to diflerent styles and kinds of machines can be readily made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a press of ordinary construction with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section at line 2-2 of Fig. 1 through the frame of the press, and showing in plan view my impyovements; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the upper portion of the press of Fig. 1 with my improvements attached thereto.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters: A indicates the frame of an ordinary press, and B the supporting legs or standards therefor.

C is the driving-shaft provided with the usual fly-wheel D.

E indicates the usual sliding head that is operated through the shaft C whenever the attendant releases a clutch by pressure on the foot-tradle F that pulls down a connection, such as G.

H indicates the bed of the press.

Inasmuch as the parts so far mentioned are common in machines of this character it is not believed furtherdescription of their construction or operation is necessary.

Referring now to my improvements by the use of which immunity against crushing or niaiming of the attendant s hands is furnished: 5 indicates a bent lever pivoted at 6 (see Fig. 3) to the frame of the machine and at one side of the bed thereof. Its inner upturned end extends beneath a button 7, or an equivalent piece, on the connection G that is adapted to be pulled down by pressure of the attendants' foot on the treadle F. With the upturned inner end of the lever thus engaging the part 7 it is evident that the connection cannot be pulled down to release the clutch that holds the head E in raised osition. The forward end of the lever 5 is est made to extend a short distance in front of the bed of the machine and may be provided with a suitablehead 8 for the attendant to press upon when moving the lever down. 9 indicates another lever at the opposite side of the machine, its forward end being preferably provided with a head 10 similar to the head 8 on the lever 5. The inner end of this lever 9 is secured to one end of a rock-shaft 11 extending across the machine in the back part of the throat thereof so as to be out of the way of the work inserted into the machine and out of the path of the punch or die carried by the head E. At the other end of the rockshaft 11 is secured a short arm 12. The parts 9, 11 and 12 mi ht of course be formed of a single piece an hence may be considered, taken together, as a single bent lever.

, short ar The part 11 is journaled in ears- 13. The

2, yvhejiithe' parts arejtheiattendants;handson fthefleversfisfre has i-tsouterenden gaged in a notch 14 formed in the inner up turned' endiap ortionsof 'sthe L% lev.er*5,ias 1 shown.

. h in locking position;

in Fig-13. heengagemenfiof this member 12 with the v by a suitable spring 15 coiled around the a t. m m .1, 9 6 d oi the s rin be ing se'ciired to the mniber" I1 and its other end being connected to one of the cars 13.

- Still another spring, 16,-isjshown connected ;at;oneendizto-othe firame of the machine and at the other end to the inner upturned end of stheI-JBVBIZ a I'S fOr-"insuring; the normal retentioir ofthatlevenin-engagement with the trip connection. The; f-orm,-location and ari':- '& 1gm nti0fithevsprlngsjcanof course be varied-'zto suit difierent, conditions and different machines.

-- In 7 operation,-

, after ::the,;' attendant has placed the work to be operated upon in ,2 .;proper-;.,;position ina the machine, before he canji causea gmovementlrof the head that carries the, punch or "die: byspressing down as usual iWIIth hisfodtnponlthe =treadle F, he must first press down upon the lever 9 which ;.:will cause the-short. armamember 12 to be Withdrawmfrom engagement with the lever 5, and theniwhiletsti'llholding down such lever: 29 must ziplressi'down on the lever 5, which latteri-raction on his, part will turn such lever on .'its, .=pivot 6 and: away from the buip-tonz 'T-yv or tequivalent ipiece that may be used in;place:thereofu-aFrom this it will be seen that both: ha-nds' of the :attendant must berwithdrawn fromth machine after placsingivmaterialrt'hereini and: before he can operate-:the machine: through the Ireleasing mechanism; that I-IS; ;set gin operation through the movementjof-the treadle!v Bythe use of my improvements, therefore,':.not' only is the 'danger;'ofrinjuryxtmthe hands of the operato'r: entirely removed; but an; effective safeguard;is provided-.against -accidental operation of the machine ;byunintentional movelever 5 is normally maintained ment of the treadle. When the-pressure of Ina press, the combination of a movable head, and means for reciprocating said head, comprising a clutch, a foot-lever for throwing said clutch into operation, a hand lever adapted normally to prevent theac tuation of said foot-lever, and a second hand-lever adapted normally to prevent the actuation of said first-named hand-lever.

2. In a press, the combination of a movable head, and means for reciprocating said head, comprising a clutch, a foot-lever for throwing said clutch into operation, a handlever, yielding means tending to hold said I hand-lever in position to prevent the actuation of said foot-lever, a second hand-lever, and yielding means tending to hold said second hand-lever in position to prevent the actuation of said first-named hand-lever.

3. In a press, the combination of a mov- I able head, and means for reciprocating. said 7 head, comprising a clutch, a foot-lever, operative connections between said clutch and said foot-lever, a stop-device mounted on said connections, a hand-lever adaptednormally to engage said stop-device to prevent.

an operative stroke of said foot-lever but adapted to be turned out of engagement with said stop-device, and a second handlever adapted normally to engage said firstnamed hand-lever to prevent its movement out of contact with said stop-device but adapted to be turned out of engagement with said first-named hand-lever.

WALTER J 'BRAY.

Witnesses: I

ALBERT F. VOLZ, EDWARD VoLz. 7 

